Trump administration asks Washington state to set aside ballots

The Trump administration on Monday asked Washington state officials to set aside any ballots received from more than 400 individuals it suspects registered to vote without United States citizenship. The Guardian and PBS NewsHour both reported that the request came ahead of upcoming midterm elections. [1][2]

According to PBS NewsHour, the Justice Department sent a letter to the Washington Secretary of State's Office stating that it identified 1,500 votes cast by these individuals in previous elections. Federal officials asked the state to withhold any ballots cast by these voters until state officials can confirm their legal eligibility. PBS NewsHour noted that noncitizen voting is exceptionally rare. [2]

The demand comes less than two weeks after the administration made a similar request regarding voters in California. As FTMQ News reported earlier, federal prosecutors previously gave California officials 48 hours to verify a list of approximately 20,000 ballots, a directive that state leaders rebuked after local officials warned it could disenfranchise legitimate voters. [1][8]

The Guardian reported that the announcement represents the latest attempt by the administration to challenge states containing competitive midterm races that could help determine control of the United States Senate and House of Representatives. Donald Trump took office as the 47th president on January 20, 2025. [1][7]